Progressive Presidents

Theodore Roosevelt (R)

William Taft (R)

Woodrow Wilson (D)

T. Roosevelt• Square Deal - interests of

business leaders, laborers (workers), and consumers should be balanced

• Trustbuster - Broke up trusts he considered to be unfair

• Pure Food and Drug Act - response to The Jungle. Stopped sale of contaminated or mislabeled food and drugs

T. Roosevelt• Meat Inspection Act -

Inspection of meat packing plants is required

• Conservation - wanted to save natural resources

• Doubles number of national parks, starts 51 wildlife refuges

William Howard Taft (1908 - 12)

• Hand picked by Roosevelt to succeed him in 1908

• Complained that TR upset the balance of the three branches

• Raised the tariff to protect businesses

Taft (1908 - 1912)• Sold public lands

(parks) to businesses

• Upset TR and other progressives

Election of 1912• TR decides to run

against Taft because he was mad at Taft

• Taft is Republican• Woodrow Wilson is

Democrat• TR Starts Bull

Moose party - splits vote

• Wilson wins

Woodrow Wilson (1912 - 1916)

• Underwood Tariff Act - created an income tax to pay for govt. stuff

• Federal Reserve Act - National bank to control sudden changes in the economy

Woodrow Wilson (1912 -1916)

• Clayton Anti-Trust Act - Strengthen laws against monopolies

• Federal Trade Commission - can investigate unfair business practices